


One Week Later

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M, Missing Scene, Pre-Slash, Season 8 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-20 23:30:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17031999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Some additions to scenes in canon and a few interpretations of what happened a couple days into the "One Year Later" time-skip.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Um first things first, I like Adam _and_ Curtis, please don't think otherwise. I love both ships with all my heart and the last thing I want is a ship war. I discuss more about Adam in the end notes.
> 
> Next, I liked Curtis from his first "major" scene, so I ended up focusing on him a lot throughout the season. Which meant, seeing him married to Shiro at the end was a nice surprise rather than an out-of-the-blue thing.
> 
> With that out of the way, enjoy

_“Captain, this is Lieutenant Curtis Williams. I ensure you that he is one of the best communications officers we have.”_

_“I'm sure that if Commander Holt trusts you, I will too. Welcome aboard, Lieutenant.” He nodded firmly, giving a small smile._

_“It will be an honour to fly with you, Captain Shirogane.”_

_\---_

_He screwed his eyes shut, trying not to panic._

It’s just a delay. It’s just a delay.

_Veronica entered the bridge with Axca, checking in on the team. Most of their conversation was deaf to his ears as he tried to keep his calm._

_“How long have they been delayed?” Veronica’s question was directed at Iverson but it got his attention. Shiro’s hands tightened into fists._

_“They should have arrived when we did.”_

_Shiro had an order on the tip of his tongue whenー_

_“Look at thisー It looks like their frequency has been pinging off a decoy. I’m intercepting it now.”_

_His eyes snapped open and he whipped around to face Lieutenant Williams._

_“Good job, Lieutenant!” A grin spread across his face._

_Williams returned the smile which quickly vanished once the messages played over each other. All were cries of help for the Atlas._

_“We need all hands on deck! Immediately!”_

\---

_Shiro rolled his shoulders and shook out his armsー well, arm. He scanned the crowd, looking out for possible competition. A tap on his shoulder caused him to tense up. Though, upon seeing the familiar face of Lieutenant Williams, he relaxed._

_“Lieutenant? Weren't you accompanying the MFE pilots?”_

_“I believe that Veronica and Axca have a leash on them, Sir. I thought it would be a good idea to check in on our captain.”_

_“Don't mind me, I'm just winning this arm-wrestling competition.” He smiled brightly._

_Williams looked amused. “Is that so, Captain?”_

_Before Shiro could retort, the announcer called out his name._

_“Time to win.” He winked._

_\---_

Wormholes. Why is she opening so many goddamn wormholes?

_“What is she up to?” Shiro grit out._

_“Hang onー” Lieutenant Williams spoke up, “Veronica, cross-check those latest coordinates with our patrol squadrons.”_

_After she rattled off her diagnostic, Shiro glanced towards the lieutenant and gave him a small nod._

_“Nice work, Lieutenant. Get me on comms with the squadron commander immediately.”_

\---

Well that's definitely going to bruise, _he thought as he slumped against the control panel._

_Veronica ran up to him immediately, checking for blood._

_Shiro watched as the Alteans extended their arms towards the crystal. “No!”_

_When he attempted to stand, he was met with resistance._

_“Captain, stand down.” Lieutenant Williams was beside him._

_“I can't let them-”_

_“Captainㄧ Stand. Down._ Please. _” His eyes were wide and his jaw set._

_“Shiro, listen to him. Curtis is right, you are in no position to fight now,” Veronica pleaded._

_With his two lieutenants holding him down, Shiro could only watch in horror as a beam of blue light shot through the ceiling, draining the crystal ー and the Atlas ー of its power._

\---

The trip home was planned to be a long haul. A lot of bickering ensued over how they should approach _‘Altea’._ If it even _was_ that.

Eventually, they came to an agreement that there was too much damage from their battle and too many unknown variables about the new planet for exploration to be done.

_Return to home base. Recover and do complete checks on all aircrafts. Send this new intel. Plan for exploration and research. Go back to the new ‘Altea’ and…_

Shiro didn't know where to go from there. The obvious answer was to continue their mission of uniting the universe through the _Voltron Coalition_  but… What would that entail?

More fighting? More battles? More innocent people being pulled into wars they never should have been involved with?

His mind drifted to the MFE pilots. To the crew of the Atlas. Voltron had been fighting these battles for a few years but the rest of them had _no idea_ what forces would hit them. Until just recently.

Shaking his head, he forced himself out of his quarters to clear his mind.

_They knew what they signed up for._

Did they? Or were they hungry for adventure? Like he was?

_They knew the risks._

How could they have known? Sendak's attack on Earth barely scratched the surface of what they just went up against.

He should have warned them. He should have warned them. He should have-

“Captain?”

Shiro stopped in his tracks to find himself in the dimly lit cafeteria. He should make some coffeeㄧ No, too jittery. Tea? Yeah, there's probably some tea here somewhere…

“Sir? Are you alright?”

Lieutenant Williams was sat at one of the tables, eating what looked to be a pile of mush. Mashed potatoes? _Wouldn't mind having some of those actually…_

The lieutenant was staring at him.

“Hm? Oh. I…” He couldn't string words together. “I'm just… Just getting some tea for myself.”

Shiro looked around for anything resembling a mug.

Williams got up, taking the food-mush with him. “Would you like some help, Captain? You seem a bit… distracted.”

“Yes, well…” he trailed off.

Once in the significantly brighter kitchen ㄧ which was, logically, where the food and drinks were kept ㄧ the lieutenant dropped the food-mush into a trash chute. In which, Shiro noticed the sling supporting his left arm.

“Lieutenant, your arm-”

He turned, revealing a large swell in his jaw. “Oh?” He looked down at himself before smiling sheepishly then explained. “I was in one of the smaller ships during the fight, there was a blast of… _something_ and it… Well, it threw us for a loopㄧ Literally. Got thrown back into a wall then a crate landed on top of me. Probably would've gotten out with a couple bruises but that crate sprained my arm and knocked out some of my teeth.” He gestured to his swollen jaw.

“Oh.”

“I'm lucky that these are all I got from that fight… Can't imagine what you went through… Sir,” he added hastily.

Shiro stared at the counter. _The smallest thing- Still got hurt- Innocent lives-_

Steam covered his face. A cup of tea was set in front of him.

“Only had Earth tea leaves in the cabinet, Captain. Hope that's not too disappointing.” Williams leaned against the counter, searching for his reaction.

“No, it's… It's fine. Thank you. And please, call me Shiro.” The slight hesitation led him to add, “It _is_ my last name, so you wouldn't be disrespectful if you did.”

A small smile made its way to his face. “Curtis. Since you call Lieutenant McClain by her first name. Though I can’t promise that _‘Sir’_ and _‘Captain’_ will be completely washed away from my training.”

“Fair enough.” Shiro drained the mug and quickly rinsed it before walking out to the cafeteria, Curtis loosely following him.

“One more thing, Sir. Once my arm is healed, I'll  be taking that _‘Champion’s Belt’_ from you in a one-on-one _human_ -arm-wrestling match.”

Shiro could only hope that his laughter didn't echo.

\---

Veronica was a menace.

“ _Sooooo_ …” Her face was curled into a smile.

“Yes, Lieutenant?”

“Don't _‘Lieutenant’_ me,” she imitated a gruff voice, “I was going over the security footage earlier and what do I see?”

“What did you see, Veronica?” Shiro played along, staring intently at the screen of constantly changing numbers in front of him.

“You and Curtis!”

“And?”

“I can't believe he didn't ask you to sign anything! Or waitㄧ _did he?_ ”

“... Sign?”

Veronica inclined her head. “Yeah? Didn't he tell you? He really admires you.”

“He does?” Turning to face her, he raised a brow. “Most of the time it feels like he's…”

“He's…?” She made a rolling motion with her hands, expecting more.

“He's usually-”

“ _Veronica_! What did you mean when-” Lieutenant Williams burst into the bridge, only to falter upon seeing Shiro. “Captain Shirogane! Good morning! If I may speak with Veronica for _just a second-_ ”

“Curtis! Perfect timing! Why don't you ask the captain your question? I'm sure he'd be more qualified to answer it,” Veronica cut in.

The lieutenant’s face was screwed up in confusion, which must've hurt his jaw because his expression relaxed a moment later.

At that point, Shiro stepped in. “Curtis, did you- Do you admire me?”

His eyebrows shot up. “What- Why would I- I mean, I _do_ but-”

“Veronica told me about your… admiration, I suppose I would call it.”

Curtis pointed a glare at the woman in question who only looked away, feigning innocence. He returned his gaze to the captain and sighed.

“I apologise if anything she told you made you uncomfortable, Sir. But I feel that I should clarify. I _do_ admire you. Though, in a different way now. I may have… _idolised_ you before,” Curtis said as he rubbed the back of his neck, “Now? I see you as an amazing captain and I’m glad that I can speak to you casually. I can only hope that can continue despite you knowing about… that.”

There was a beat of silence.

“Hey Curtis?”

“ _Yes,_ Veronica?”

“I only told him that you wanted an autograph. None of that _other stuff_...” She trailed off as a devious smile grew on her face.

The lieutenant’s face grew stormy.

Veronica to darted out of the bridge while shouting, “Dismissing myself, Captain!”

Curtis turned to Shiro again. “May I be dismissed, Sir? ‘Yes’? Thank you.”

Not long after, he chased after her despite his arm sling.

“ _VERONICAAA_!”

“Dis...missed?” Shiro called out to the hallway.

_I feel like I’ve missed a big part of that conversation._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm thinking of writing more for this ship but I'm not entirely sure, if this gets positive feedback I'll probably continue.
> 
> Adam. I adore his character. We didn't see much of him but I love the fanon and who he is to Shiro. I like to think that Shiro and Curtis got married _years_ later. After they had time to become friends, then eventual lovers, then husbands. In my eyes, Shiro had a lot of support from the people around him (including Curtis) to move on from Adam's death.
> 
> I'm very upset with the fandom's reaction to Curtis, seeing so much hate, but I can only hope that people realise that the two characters (and their ships) shouldn't be pitted against each other.
> 
> That said, I hope you enjoyed this fic!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Shiro clears the air with Lieutenant Curtis Williams (along with some meddling by Veronica)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the overwhelmingly lovely feedback from this fic! I didn't expect this to get much attention, in all honesty, so truly- thanks.
> 
> Warning: This chapter is a bit more serious than I intended it to be. Oops. (Aaand this is how a second chapter you never intended on writing ends up being longer than the original idea) (also also, the first chapter has been edited, so maybe read that? if you want?)
> 
> Also, if there is _any_ hate directed at Adam and/or Curtis, it will _not_ be tolerated. You want to hate on one or both of them? Go somewhere else. This fic is not for you.

Asking Veronica which room belonged to Curtis wasn’t his best idea. Maybe he would’ve had a more straightforward answer if he’d asked Iverson. Scratch thatㄧ he _definitely_ would’ve had an easier time if he’d asked literally _anyone_ else.

“Captain, oh Captain, wouldn’t _you_ like to know?” She raised her brows as her lips curled, not bothering to hide her amusement.

Shiro huffed. “Look, I just feel like I should speak with Curtis. I haven’t seen him since that… weird conversation we all had a few days ago.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, giving him a smile that would be best described as cat-like. “No, no, no. I need to know _why._ I’ll be a stand-in guardian for Curtis as of now. So,” she cleared her throat and lowered the pitch of her voice, “What are your intentions with Lieutenant Curtis?”

“ _'Intentions’_? Veronica, what on Earth are you talking about?” He really, _really_ needed to clear whatever awkward air was hanging between him and Curtis. Nobody was on full duty on the bridge for the time being, which made it hard to bump into the the lieutenant.

“Shiro. Captain. _Sir._ I mean no offense, but you can’t _honestly_ be _that_ dense.”

He thought about it for a moment. Another.

…

Nothing came to mind so he shrugged uselessly at her.

To say her jaw dropped wouldn’t be an over-exaggeration. “He- Shiro, Curtis _likes_ you. Ugh, I sound like a child...” she mumbled the last part.

He tensed up but forced himself to relax. Shifting his gaze slightly downwards, he spoke. “I would hope so. Trust between a crew and their captain is essential to-”

“You _know_ what I mean.”

By now his shoulders had come up to frame his neck. “Veronica, you can’t expect me to... _I can’t-_ ”

In an instant, she dropped her act, reaching out him hesitantly. “Oh- Shiro, I didn’t mean to- _Shit-_ Look, forget I said anything. I’ll tell you where-”

“I just- It’s too soon. And the mission-” He was rambling. He needed to stop. Right now.

Her gaze hardened. “Don’t you _dare_ act like this is because of the mission. Shiro- Alright, we are _not_ talking about this in a training room. Follow me.”

She brought him to her quarters, which was thankfully vacant of her companion, Axca. They managed to dodge most of the crew, if only because so many of them were housed in the med-bay.

The feeling of a soft bed under him shook him out of his trance. Veronica was sat next to him.

“Okay, now that we’re safe and alone-” She turned her body to face him on the bed. “Are you alright? Did I- Did I trigger anything for you?”

 _That_ wasn’t expected. “What? No. _God, no._ I just… It’s just a… a sensitive topic for me.”

“How so?”

“I don’t know, I just… I mean- I had closure. I do- did- do? God, we weren’t even- When he-” _Stop._

A long stretch of silence fell between them. She stared at him for a long time before bringing her legs up on the bed, crossing them. Hesitantly, she reached out for both his hands. “ _Slowly._ You need to do this slowly. Carefully.”

“And how do you suggest I do that?”

“Shiro, I’m with you here. You’re not the only adult anymore. You don’t need to push everything aside to look brave. You’ve been through a lot too. More than anyone here could go through.” She chewed at her lip. “I’ll be honest with youㄧ I don’t know what I’m doing right now. But I’ll try. So… How do you want to do this? We can talk about anything. Details and all.”

“I don’t know if… if I can do that.”

“How about surface level stuff? Just the basics. Try.” Her smile was earnest.

Shiro breathed in deeply. “I- Adam was… We were engaged, you know? But… we broke it off. And when I came back he- he was- God, if we were just a _few days earlier_ I could have-”

Another bout of silence.

“I just… I need time to grieve. To think.”

Veronica studied his face for a moment before saying, “It’s not your fault. You know that, right?”

“I… I know. I just wish I could have… seen him again. I don’t know if we would’ve even… If our relationship could’ve been mended but I’d like to- I’d like to have had the chance.”

Finally making eye contact with her, Shiro raised his chin. “I don’t think I could…” He exhaled through his nose. “Romance isn’t something I can do right now. Not for a while, I think.”

“That’s perfectly fine, Shiro. You don’t _have_ to do anything you don’t want to. Relationships seem tricky? Don’t force yourself into one.” She squeezed his hands.

“But… That’s the thingㄧ Is it wrong to want something? Not now, of courseㄧ but when I… sort things out?” He returned his gaze downwards, staring at their joined hands.

“With Curtis?”

“With… With anyone.”

“Of course not.” Veronica cupped his cheek, forcing him to look at her again. “You are allowed to move on, Shiro. Whenever you feel like you can. And you’re allowed to be with someone after you do.”

“Technically, this would be the second time I’m moving on from him.” _Can’t even say his name._

A sad smile. “Was it bad the first time?”

“Yes.”

“Did you manage it?”

“... Just barely.”

“How’d you do it?”

 _How_ did _he manage it?_ “... I guess there was a lot that happened. Then I had the paladins to look after, so…”

“Well, you have time to sort out your feelings now. You can talk about this to any of us. Maybe not the paladins- Well, maybe Keith can- Oh, _no,_ definitely not that-”

Despite himself, Shiro chuckled. “He’s better now, actually. But maybe not the best for this.” He hesitated. “Thank you, Veronica.”

“It’s no problem, Shiro. Anytime.”

They sat in comfortable silence until he sighed. “I guess I _really_ need to talk to Lieutenant Curtis now, though.”

“Are you going to turn him down?”

“I think I have to. I can’t lead him on,” his voice was surprisingly steady.

“That’s a good decision. Best for both of you.” She mumbled something incoherent.

“What was that?”

Thinking for a moment, she answered, “I said _‘For now’._ Sorry if that’s poor taste, I just-”

He shook his head, smiling softly. “It’s fine, Veronica. I’ll tell you if you cross the line. Though… Maybe tone down the match-making?”

“Will do, Sir.” She straightened her back, giving a salute.

Falling into laughter again, he silently thanked whatever deity was out there for letting him have Veronica as a friend.

\---

It turned out that Curtis shared a room with Iverson, so forgive Shiro for being a tad worried on the off chance his old Commander interrupted their conversation.

Taking in one last breath, he knocked on the door which almost immediately opened.

“Captain?” The lieutenant’s face was less swollen, which was a good sign. He still wore the arm sling though.

Deciding to go for a casual introduction, Shiro gestured towards the sling. “Guess we can’t have that arm-wrestling competition yet, huh?”

A surprised laugh bubbled out of the lieutenant and Shiro only felt a little bit guilty for thinking it was cute.

“I’m afraid not, Sir. I’ll be sure to go to you the second the sling comes off, so that I can finally take that belt which is rightfully mine.”

“Good. Great… Is Iverson in the room?”

“No, Sir,” he drew out the words, confused, “He’s currently with the MFE pilotsㄧ trying to boost moral apparently.” Curtis smiled at the absurdity, which Shiro returned.

“In that case, could I speak to you, Curtis?” There was a strong urge to fiddle with his collar, but he kept his hands clasped together.

Curtis tried to feign nonchalance but Shiro saw his jaw tense as his eyes widened by a millimetre. “Of course, Captain.”

Shiro glanced towards the bed but decided against the message that would send, instead sat himself at the chair. Curtis followed suit and took a seat at Iverson’s chair.

“Curtis, I won’t beat around the bushㄧ Veronica told me about your feelings toward me,” he said in a jumble of words before he could start stumbling over himself.

The lieutenant slumped in his chair. “Oh. I- I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, Sir.”

“It doesn’t.” He smiled, to prove his point. Then dropped it when he realised what impression it might have given off. Forcing a cough, he started, “I wanted to say that I’m flattered Lieu- Curtis. I really am but…”

“Captain, you don’t need to explain yourself-”

“I’m not ready for a relationship right now. I- There- There’s been a lot… that’s happened.”

Curtis didn’t offer any words.

Shiro cleared his throat. “I didn’t want to lead you on, so I thought telling you bluntly would be… easier on you.” _Oh, yes, because that makes even a lick of sense._

“... Thank you for your honesty, Captain, but I never intended for you to know, or even reciprocate. And… I’m sorry to say that this won’t erase any feelings I have towards you,” he said slowly, carefully thinking out his words.

“I never expected them to.” Shiro gave a lopsided smile. “I only wanted any… misunderstandings between us to be avoided. We still have to work together as a cohesive team. I hope you understand that, Curtis.”

“Of course, Sir.”

A heavy silence invaded the room. Shiro coughed. “So… Is that arm-wrestling competition still on?” he asked, trying for a joke.

Curtis laughed again. “Wouldn’t dream of not doing it, Sir. Orㄧ _Would_ dream of… doing it… You get what I mean, Sir.”

Shiro resisted the urge to snort at the lieutenant’s secret awkwardness. _Come on, back to the topic at hand. Can’t leave this hanging._ “I hope we can still be friends, Curtis.”

“There’s no worries there, Captain.” The smile he gave reached his eyes, which wrinkled at the corners.

“I- I don’t want you to… to _wait_ for me. I can’t promise anything,” Shiro said, fidgeting with the cuff of his uniform.

The lieutenant’s smile dimmed slightly, but would still be considered a wide grin. “My feelings are mine, Captain. Not much I can do to control them in that regard. And like I said, I don’t need a promise from youㄧ I’d be happy with anything you gave me.”

“Seems a bit risky.” He’d gone from fidgeting to wringing his hands.

“Well, I _did_ take this mission, so you can probably guess that I’m a risky kind of guy, Shiro.”

Not half a second passed beforeㄧ “I mean ‘Sir’! _‘I’m a risky kind of guy,_ Sir’! That’s what I meant!”

Shiro hoped that he could pass off the redness of his face due to laughing and not hearing the lieutenant say his name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so I'll be keeping this fic as 'Complete' because I'm not sure if I can write more. If I do, I'll make sure that each chapter doesn't leave on too much of a cliffhanger so that the story can stand on it's own no matter how many chapters I end up writing.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! (Also feel free to tell me any headcanons you enjoy and I might incorporate them into future installments if I can)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry in advance. also fuck sh//th. none of that shit in this fic no siree.

A few weeks later Curtis’ arm was fully healed and he approached Shiro, challenging him to their fated arm-wrestling match. They ended up having an audience ㄧ thanks to Veronica ㄧ which consisted of the herself, Axca, the MFE pilots, and Iverson.

Shiro foolishly believed that they’d only be around to spectate but as he and Curtis stretched out their joints, Veronica began chanting, “Cur-tis! Cur-tis! Cur-tis!”

The lieutenant laughed good naturedly. “Just don’t make any bets.” Shiro was about to agree when Curtis spoke again. “Wouldn’t want the captain’s moral to go down from losing the people’s vote.” He flashed a toothy smirk in his direction.

“ _Oooh_!” Rizavi slapped a hand over her own mouth as the panicked eyes of all the MFE pilots turned to face the captain.

Considering for a moment, Shiro sat on the bench and set his left arm on the cafeteria table. “Actually, why not let some side-picking happen? You’ve obviously already got Veronica’s vote.”

An answering whoop from her only made Shiro’s grin widen.

Without hesitation, Curtis took his place opposite to him. “Sounds great. I assume this is all off of the books?” His smirk remained steady.

“Of course.” Tearing his gaze away from the lieutenant, he addressed the pilots. “You can choose sides, I swear I won’t punish you in drills. This is all in good fun, don’t worry, yeah?”

They still looked hesitant but when Iverson moved over to stand by the lieutenant, they rushed to their choice. Shiro ended up having Griffin and Liefsdottir while Curtis had everyone else on his side.

“Well, now that we have our supportersㄧ” Curtis opened his palm, ready. “I hope that belt is all nice and polished for me... Shiro.”

The captain’s smile grew wider. “You’ll have to earn it fair and square, Curtis.” Then he clasped his hand tightly.

Axca took the role of mediator. “Flesh arms only. Elbows on the table at all times. On my mark: Three. Two. One. Mark!”

Surprisingly, Axca joined in on the side-taking, favouring Shiro, after she realised the match would last more than a second. Loud cheering from both sides attracted the attention of some of the other patrons of the cafe but they didn’t make any complaints.

Ultimately, Shiro won. Not to say that Curtis didn’t give him a run for his money. Which is what he told him.

“Hey, you put up a good fight there, Lieutenant,” he said, panting only slightly.

Curtis waved him off noncommittally, catching his breath. “No need for flattery, Captain.”

“Did I hurt you?” Shiro asked, seeing the lieutenant massage his arm.

As Curtis shook his head, Veronica spoke up. “I demand a rematch!”

“I think that’s enough fooling around for today, Lieutenant,” Iverson grunted. His words sent the pilots fleeing from the scene.

She pouted. “Yes, Commander.”

Iverson stalked out of the cafeteria, leaving Shiro with the two lieutenants and Axca.

“I will admit… This does seem like a productive activityㄧ Besting your companions in a competition of strength. It is a show of superiority and allows you to claim your position as leader,” Axca said seriously.

Shiro huffed out a laugh. “C’mon Axca, it’s just fun and games. That’s all-” When he turned to look at her, he was met with a sly smile.

Veronica snickered.

“Was that- Was that a _joke_? Oh my God, Axca, did you tell a _joke_?” Curtis asked, disbelieving.

Veronica was giggling now.

“You’ll have to thank Veronica for that. She’s helped me _‘chill out’_ if we use her wording,” Axca explained, gesturing to the woman in question.

“And I have succeeded!” She pumped her fist in triumph.

Shaking his head, he faced Curtis again. He held out his right arm. “Good game, Lieutenant?”

Curtis took the prosthetic hand he offered without a moment of hesitation and shook it firmly. “Good game, Sir.”

\---

After many long months, they were finally back on Earth. Home.

Wellㄧ They were a few hours away from Earth. Home base was a bit surprised to be on comms with them when they’d reached the edges of the Solar System and told the Atlas to be on standby as they prepared for their impromptu return.

Shiro stared out of the large windows, feeling a warm comfort upon seeing the familiar planets. He thought back to the meeting he had with the paladins a few days ago.

_“Paladins. This is by no means an urgent meeting but I thought we should talk about what will happen after we return to Earth.”_

He remembered the stunned silence from the four teenagers. _Teenagers._ Which was exactly why he had to have that conversation.

The truth was… Voltron wasn’t needed. In fact, there was no Voltron at all. Not anymore. He had to make it clear to them that they were free to do what they wanted now. That they could finally pursue their dreams. They didn’t need to save the world anymore. At least, not how they did before. The _Voltron Coalition_ was still a mission they had to complete, even without Voltron itself. Which is exactly what he told them.

Keith was the first to speak up.

_“I know that I’m the paladin of the Black Lion and that I should stay here as a leader but… My loyalty is to the Blades. Second to Voltron, of course, but like you said Shiro…”_

He didn’t say more than that but even with those few words, Shiro understood. Pride flowed through him, seeing evidence of how much Keith had grown.

Hunk followed.

_“I- I don’t know if I’ll stay on as a pilot but… I really enjoy cooking for everyone on the crew. Maybe I could stay as a paladin in-name-only? For like, peace treaties. But I could help Sal in the cafeteria? I’ll always help with mechanics, act as a consultant and all that jazz but y’know. Cooking for you guys is fun.” He smiled._

Pidge was next. Her answer was short and simple.

_“I’ll stay with my family. I think that’s most important to me.”_

That only left Lance.

Shiro thought back to how he stared down at the table for the entire meeting, refusing to look at anyone. He ended up dismissing them after Lance told them, _“I… I don’t know. Sorry.”_

What surprised him though, was that Lance stayed behind as the others left.

_“Hey Shiro?”_

_“What’s up, Lance?”_

_“I think… I think I just want to stay on Earth. Be with my family. I don’t- I don’t wanna fight anymore. I- I_ can’t _fight anymore. I- I- I-”_

_“Lance?”_

_With his voice barely above a whisper, “I don't want to do this anymore.”_

What came after was a long conversation. After some convincing on Lance’s side, Veronica joined in, talking through his trauma. Shiro almost couldn’t bear to see the weight he was carrying. He was _so young._

Shiro stared out the window. He wouldn’t force Lance or any of the other paladins to go through more battles. No more wars.

But he had a duty. The _Coalition._ He had to complete that mission. No matter how long it took. Then after that was done, maybe he’d take a page out of Lance’s book. Stay on Earth.

He shook his head, pushing away the fantasies of a life of relaxation. Not yet.

“Captain?”

Shiro smiled at the familiar voice.

“Yes, Lieutenant?” He turned to face Curtis, receiving a tired smile from him.

“Home base is requesting comms with you, Sir.”

“Lead the way, Lieutenant,” he said as he followed him out of the viewing room.

\---

Shiro found himself facing the wall of fallen soldiers. He managed to stay away from it for a few days after they landed on Earth but he couldn't resist it any longer. Slowly, he stepped closer, torn between staring at it or running far, far away.

The sound of footsteps grew louder but he didn't  budge. Soon enough, Keith stood beside him. Shiro didn't bother to say anything.

“I miss him too, you know,” Keith spoke, “Kinda like an older brother; y'know, one that _actually_ stopped me from doing dumb stuff.”

Shiro managed a small chuckle. “He told me that I shouldn't have taken you under my wing but he ended up spoiling you more than I did.”

“How does _‘never letting me off the hook for skipping class’_ mean _‘spoiling_ ’ to you?” Keith gave him an incredulous look.

That got a proper laugh out of him. “Have you forgotten all the pudding he snuck in for you? Or how about the fact that he got you _actual_ fingerless  gloves when he found out you cut off the fingers from your winter mittens?”

“To be fair, he scolded me for that _then_ got me the gloves.”

“Yeah… He did,” Shiro said wistfully, looking back at the wall.

Keith lightly punched his shoulder. “He would have forgiven you, you know. He _did_ forgive you. How did you think I got nothing more than expulsion from the Garrison?”

“He helped you?” Shiro was surprised. That was the last thing he expected.

“Let's just say… Adam still saw me as family even after you two split up. I think maybe… Maybe he wanted to get any guilt off his chest in any way he could.”

“But he didn't take you in?”

Keith snorted. “I think that's my fault. Angry teen who just lost their brother wasn't too keen on living with said brother's ex-fiance.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah.”

The two of them stood silently looking at the wall of plaques.

After a while, Keith stepped forward and touched Adam's plaque. He reached into his pocket and pulled out something small and black. Carefully, he placed it against the wall, under where the plaque was.

Keith stepped back and took his place next to Shiro.

“What's that?” He vaguely gestured to the item.

“My mittens. Found them in my box of stuff the Garrison collected. Had a note on ‘em,” he explained, shrugging stiffly.

Shiro pulled him into a sudden hug.

Keith returned it and spoke into Shiro's shoulder. “You're not alone in this, Shiro. I've got your back. What kind of brother would I be if I didn't?”

Shiro let out a wet laugh, which was when he realised he was crying.


End file.
